JOHN S. SNEAD
History of Arizona, 1893

At the age of seventy-one years John S. Snead, retired 
capitalist, is one of the best preserved, physically and 
mentally, of the men who have attained to his age in the 
county.  He is now retired, satisfied with what he has 
gained and willing to let others, younger and more active, 
take up the burden.  He was born in Fluvanna County, 
Virginia, August 6, 1825; son of John H. and Nancy (Pettet) 
Snead, natives of the same state.  Members of this family 
were pioneers of the Old Dominion and the father of our 
subject served in the War of 1812.  He was a farmer and 
died in his native state.  In the log school house of his 
native county John S. Snead received his education and on 
the farm learned habits of industry and perseverance which 
have remained with him through life.

When twenty one years old he went to St. Charles County, 
Missouri and while there enlisted in Captain McCoslin's 
Company, in the Mexican War, being mustered in at St. 
Louis.  He was out eighteen months but peace had been 
declared before they reached Mexico.  Returning to Missouri 
young Snead engaged in the tobacco business at St. Charles 
and shipped his produce up the river and hauled it out to 
the country towns in wagons.  In 1850 he crossed the plains 
with two ox teams and eight men and were over six months 
on the road.  They stopped in California at Grass Valley 
and were engaged in prospecting and placer mining for 
some time.  Subsequently Mr. Snead left his companions 
and went to Coloma, California, where he was engaged in 
mining for a short time, but from there he went to 
Georgetown, that State and spent the winter.  In the 
spring of 1851 he raised a company and went on a hunt 
for Gold Lake and was out for five months, but was 
unsuccessful.  Later he went to Sacramento and thence 
to Gold Hill where he engaged in placer mining and 
where he was quite successful.  There he remained 
during the winter but in the spring moved on the river 
and dammed it in order to work in its bed.  A heavy 
rain spoiled his plans and he gave it up.  Subsequently 
he bought a team and went to hauling goods and 
provisions to the big mines, following this for about 
two years.  Then, selling his stock to the stage 
company at Placerville, he began driving stage and 
followed this at different places but for the same 
company for five years.

Following this he went to Salt Lake City and drove the stage 
for eighteen months when, hearing that the Sweet Water Mine 
was having a boom, he went there and began mining.  He soon 
lost all his money and then returned to Salt Lake where he 
began driving stage to Helena and was thus employed for six 
months.  From there he went to Idaho, remained there about 
three years engaged in staging, but being bothered with 
rheumatism he went to Southern California.  Not deriving 
any benefit from the climate of Southern California he 
made his way to Arizona, in 1877 and for a short time 
stopped at Aaronsburg.  Afterwards he was in Pinal County 
for some time and in 1881 located in Phoenix where he was 
engaged in the liquor business for about four years.  In 
1884 he returned to his old home in Virginia, bought a 
farm and cultivated the soil for three years, to his 
detriment.  Disgusted with farming he returned to 
Phoenix and here he has since made his home. He has a 
nice residence here and owns the Garden City Restaurant 
property which is very valuable.  Mr. Snead's life has 
been an eventful one, but he has been unusually successful. 
He takes a great interest in the building up of Phoenix 
and is well known in municipal affairs.

Mr. Snead was married in 1885 to Miss Henrietta Willis, a 
native of Virginia and they have two children, John E. and 
Sallie N.

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